“Kofetā ki he Kai Hoʻataá,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, Siulai 2023, 12–13.
Kofetā ki he Kai Hoʻataá
“Ko e hā e faʻahinga meʻa ʻokú ke kaí?”
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteiti ʻo ʻAmeliká.
Naʻe tangutu hifo ʻa Uloi ʻi he tēpilé ʻo fakaava hake ʻene kato kai hoʻataá. Naʻe toki hiki mai hono fāmilí, pea ko hono ʻuluaki ʻaho ʻeni ʻi hono ʻapiako foʻoú. Naʻe ngaohi ʻe heʻene faʻeé ʻa ʻene meʻakai manako faka-ʻAmēnia ko e kofetā (kofta). Naʻá ne vēkeveke ke kai ia!
Naʻe toʻo ʻe Uloi ʻa e pepa ne kofu takai ʻaki e kofetaá. Naʻe hangē ia ha kakanoʻi manu lōloa mo lausiʻí. Naʻá ne saiʻia ʻi he nanamu ʻo e sipaisi naʻe taʻo ʻaki ʻa e kakanoʻi manú. Pea ko e foʻi ava ʻi lotomālié naʻe hangē ia ha kiʻi meʻaifí. Naʻá ne ʻai ia ki hono loungutú peá ne puhiʻi. Naʻá ne uʻu leva. Ifo!
Naʻe lea atu ha kiʻi tamasiʻi mei he tēpilé, “Hei.” “Ko e hā e faʻahinga meʻa ʻokú ke kaí?”
Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe Uloi ʻoku kamata kula hono kouʻahé. “Ko ʻeku kai hoʻataá.”
“ʻOku ʻikai ke ʻasi ifo mai ia.” Naʻe kata ʻa e kiʻi tamasiʻí.
Naʻe ʻikai ʻilo ʻe Uloi pe ko e hā e meʻa te ne lea ʻakí. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻilo ʻoku ʻikai ha toe taha heni ʻoku kai kofetā. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne loto ke nau fakakaukau ʻokú ne faikehe! Ko ia naʻá ne tuku leva ʻene meʻatokoni hoʻataá pea lele ki tuʻa ʻi he mālōlō siʻí.
ʻI he tuku ʻa e akó, naʻe aʻu atu ʻa Uloi ʻoku ʻaʻau ʻe Mami ha ngaahi puha.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Uloi , “ʻOku ʻikai ke u toe fie ʻalu au mo ha kofetā ki he akó.”
“Ko e hā nai hono ʻuhingá?” ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa e Fineʻeikí. “Ko ho manakó ia.”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Uloi ʻa e meʻa naʻe hoko ʻi he akó. “Naʻe fakamā ʻaupito!”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami, “Kātaki he meʻa naʻe hokó.” “Ko e tokolahi taha ʻo e kakaí kuo teʻeki ke nau kai ʻa e kofetaá. Fēfē kapau te ta ʻoange ki he fānaú ha faingamālie ke nau ʻahiʻahiʻi ai ia?”
Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe Uloi, “Ko e hā e ʻuhinga? He ʻikai ke nau kai ia ʻe nautolu.”
“He ʻikai ke ke ʻilo kae ʻoua leva kuó ke ʻeke! ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻoku faingataʻa ke maʻu ha ngaahi kaungāmeʻa foʻou. Ka ko e fānau kotoa kitautolu ʻa e ʻOtuá. Taimi ʻe niʻihi, kuo pau ke tau feinga ke tau feʻilongaki lahi ange.”
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Uloi ki ai. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne loto ke kataʻi ia. Ka naʻá ne loto ke ʻoange ki he fānaú ʻi he kai hoʻataá ha faingamālie lelei ange ke mahino kiate kinautolu. Pea naʻe ifo moʻoni ʻa e kofetaá.
Naʻá ne kamo hake. “Sai. Ta ngaohi ke lahi ange.”
ʻI he maʻu meʻatokoni hoʻatā he ʻaho hono hokó, naʻe mihiʻi mālohi ʻe Uloi ʻene mānavá. Naʻá ne tangutu he tafaʻaki ʻo e kiʻi tamasiʻi naʻe kataʻi iá.
Naʻe fakaava hake ʻe Uloi ʻene kato kai hoʻataá. “ʻOku ʻi ai ha taha ʻia moutolu ʻe fie ʻahiʻahiʻi e meʻakai faka-ʻAmēniá?”
Naʻe haʻohaʻo mai ʻa e tamaiki kehé ʻi hono veteki ʻe Uloi ʻa e kofetaá.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe he kiʻi tamasiʻí, “ʻOku ou fie ʻahiʻahiʻi.”
Naʻe toe pehē atu mo ha kiʻi taʻahine, “Mo au pē.” Naʻe paasi takai ʻe Uloi ʻa e kofetaá koeʻuhi ke lava ʻe he taha kotoa ʻo ʻahiʻahiʻi. Naʻa nau uʻu kotoa leva.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe he kiʻi tamasiʻí, “ʻOku ifo moʻoni ʻeni!” “Ko e hā hono uí?”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Uloi, “Kofetā.”
“Tōatu!” Naʻe malimali ʻa e kiʻi tamasiʻí. “Ko Sione au. Ke fie vaʻinga ʻi he mālōlō siʻí?”
Naʻe kamo pē ʻa Uloi ʻoku lolotonga fonu hono ngutú. Naʻe moʻoni ʻene Mamí—ko e fānau kotoa kinautolu ʻa e ʻOtuá! Pea naʻe tokoni ʻene vahevahé ke maʻu ai hano ngaahi kaungāmeʻa.
Tā fakatātā ʻa Mark Robison